Toolkit Offers Physician Practices Help with Data Exchange

The release of the proposed rule for EHR Stage 2 Meaningful Use has brought clarity to medical organizations and physicians that Stage 2 is laser focused on interoperability and health information exchange.

As physician practices continue to invest and deploy health information technology (HIT), it is very important for them to not only choose the right health it partner, but to make certain that their HIT strategy provides the capability to participate in health information exchange organizations (HIEs) in their communities. Physician practices that secure data exchange capability will be best positioned to meet Meaningful Use Stage 2 requirements and deliver more effective and efficient care to their patients.

The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), in partnership with the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA), have introduced the Ambulatory Health Information Exchange Toolkit for physician practices. The toolkit offers physician practices the resources and help they need to make well informed HIE decisions in a number of critical areas.

The critical areas covered in the toolkit include:

The HIE Value Proposition

The Relationship Between Meaningful Use Requirements and HIE

Detailed Business and Financial Models

Required Technical Architecture

Best Practices on Evaluating HIE Participation

A prerequisite of medical practices participating in an HIE is implementing an electronic health record (EHR) system. EHR implementation data shows that small physician practices, (1 to 2 providers), are more challenged in converting their paper records and joining an HIE than larger group practices due to cost. An example that illustrates the financial gains that small physician practices may realize by implementing an EHR that helps offset the initial capital investment can be found here. (pdf)

Frank J. Rosello

is CEO & Co-Founder of Environmental Intelligence LLC.

Environmental Intelligence, LLC, is a complete, full-service healthcare IT solution provider. With a team having more than 10 years of proven clinical expertise in delivering end-to-end health IT solutions, Environmental Intelligence provides medical practices and facilities onsite expert IT consulting, installation, and implementation that is focused on physicians, their patients, and the quality of their care.